The New Sustainable Collection We Love
The New Sustainable Collection We Love

The New Sustainable Collection We Love

Here at SheerLuxe, we’ve teamed up with Superdry to showcase its new sustainable collection, which includes everything from vegan trainers to organic cotton separates and ethical workout gear. In this three-part series, we’re talking to female entrepreneurs building sustainable businesses, and asking them to share an insight into their daily routines. In this final instalment, Em-J, vegan make-up artist and founder of The Em J Company, tells us more about her sustainable lifestyle…

Created in partnership with SUPERDRY

In the morning I usually wake up at 7am. However, with the sun rising so early at the moment, I tend to wake up naturally with the light. On shoot days it can be super early, anything from 5am. 

The first thing I do in the morning is head out into the fields or to the park with Chippy, my dog. It really wakes me up. Fuelling my day with a bit of fresh air always fills me with energy.

I start every morning with a HUEL smoothie and also throw in some bananas, nut butter, seeds and mushroom powder. It’s so delicious. I also write in my journal, jotting down ten things I’m grateful for. Throughout the day, I also try to follow the acronym SMILEY, which stands for silence (meditation), mantra, imagination (reading, cooking etc.), learn, exercise and finally, yoga.

To me, the meaning of sustainable living is slowing down and thinking about what we buy and consume, rather than making rushed and impulsive decisions. It’s about being mindful when we make purchases and trying to be more conscious of the impact they have on the world. It’s nothing ground-breaking, but I think we should all be making eco-friendly choices when we can. 

It’s about being MINDFUL when we make purchases and trying to be MORE CONSCIOUS of the IMPACT they have on the world.

When I’m getting dressed, I always think about comfort. I’m pregnant, so easy dressing is a priority right now. I always try to celebrate my shape, too – and adding a couple of my own signature pieces (such as crystal jewellery, a hat or tassel bag) always makes me feel a bit more confident.

Some of my favourite pieces from Superdry’s sustainable range include the Tencel playsuits and the ECOVERO dresses. The black Tencel military shirt is also on my wish list, as are the recycled fabric and organic cotton comfies. 

I’d describe my personal style as relaxed, comfortable, boho and feminine. I wear lots of black, but I also love white, green, orange, red and purple – I’m trying to be more adventurous with colour these days. 

For work I usually wear all black. I start out thinking it looks smart but I’m usually covered in make-up by the end of the day. I also add a boho touch with either cowboy boots, bangles or crystals around my neck.

I don’t have a typical work day – every day is very different, which I love. Some days I’ll be on a photoshoot for a beauty campaign, or I could be hopping from house to house getting celebrities ready for events and gigs. I also work from home creating content for beauty and lifestyle brands that make sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free products. 

When it comes to beauty, everyone should celebrate and focus on what they like about themselves. I used to spend so much time begrudging the fact that I have a long face, but now – rather than contouring my face to high heaven – I celebrate my bone structure and barely even think about it anymore. 

When it comes to beauty, everyone should CELEBRATE and focus on WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT THEMSELVES.

Clean and sustainable beauty is important to me because a huge amount of beauty packaging ends up in landfill – it really is heart-breaking. If we think about how many shower gel bottles we go through, and the amount of damaging chemicals that are created in the manufacturing process, all of it ends up polluting our water systems. 

Truly sustainable beauty means thinking about the impact of the production process, the sales process and the packaging on the environment. Yes, sustainable beauty can be really complicated and overwhelming but there are so many ways a product can be unsustainable, and it takes a lot of effort, time and money to think through every step of the production process. That’s why eco brands are sometimes more expensive – but I appreciate that they’re thinking of the greater good. It's worth the extra money to me.

Some of my favourite, and simplest, sustainable beauty finds are reusable cotton pads and muslin cloths. They save so much on waste compared to make-up wipes and disposable cotton pads. Refillable shower gel, too. I have a pretty glass bottle which I keep on the floor in my shower and refill it with either the Bodyshop Shea Shower Cream or one from my local refill shop. I recently started using the Ethique Plastic Free Lipstick as well, and I love it. They come in cardboard packaging so once you’ve finished with it, you can pop it in your recycling or even compost bin. 

Some days I’ll be on a PHOTOSHOOT for a beauty campaign, or I could be hopping from house to house getting CELEBRITIES ready for events and gigs.

We could all focus on using what we have before we buy something new. When we’re ready to buy, investing in products that are genuinely eco-friendly is also key. Look for brands with a ‘soil association’ or ‘b corp’ stamp. Also, look for brands that make their products in the country you live in to reduce the carbon footprint. Also, check whether products or packaging are made from recycled ingredients. 

These days, I’m trying to build more sustainable habits by cutting down on food waste and packaging waste – all in all I’m trying to minimise the number of things that end up in the bin. I try to cut down on food waste by batch cooking meals and popping them in the freezer. My friend Sophie Gordon published a book called The Whole Vegetable which has inspired me to use veggies in exciting new ways. 

I typically like to buy my food from package-free shops. There is something so rewarding about filling up my Kilner jars and having nothing to throw away afterwards.

In the future, I'd love to be more sustainable by having a fully electric car – I had one for a short while a few years ago but the mileage was terrible. It’s really exciting to see some of the newer models can go for 300+ miles at a time. 

Inspired? Find Out More Below...

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